Wednesday 18 January 2012

A visit to the flower market in Amman

One day a friend asked me if I had been to the flower market in shmeisani. A flower market? in Amman? Where? I have been buying my flowers of the street and have always found that it was actually quite cheap and fairly good quality depending on what you buy; we went this morning and it is like a small heaven, well if you are into fresh flowers obviously!

It is located on the continuation of Wadi Saqra going into shmeisani, behind the sixt rent a car - probably 200-300m up the road (it's on my map and the link at the bottom of the page).

Outside the market 

Man arriving with fresh flowers

Opposite the entrance to the market there is a small shop where they sell vases and baskets, ribbons and a small (tiny tiny) selection of cards. There are also other things, quite indescribable... Vases cost 5JD, baskets 7JD. 

Vases and baskets
Bric-a-Brac, as we say in French

The small cards... 
The much larger ribbon selection 
You enter the hall and lots of different vendors selling mainly to flower shops and other professionals, but you don't need to be in bulk, one bunch at one stall and one at an other is fine as well. Then you walk around and ask for the prices. Today a bunch of lilies was sold for 5JD, gerberas for 3JD, roses from 3JD for second class to 12JD the bunch imported from South America.




Once you have decided on what you want from one vendor you can leave your flowers on the floor in front of the stall, it means they are "sold".


When you need to pay you get a receipt from each stall from where you have taken some flowers - for most of them you pay at the central cashier and they hand you a receipt. I think a couple of them you pay direct - but you should always get a receipt as it is needed when you exit for one last stamp! Even at the flower market you can feel the Jordanian bureaucracy! One think I forgot to ask about are the opening hours; i know it is closed on fridays - a part from that, we went at 9am and lots of flowers were still coming in. Well ask about it next time I go. 

The central cashier in the middle of the hall and to the right the men with the last stamp...
The bill (and the stamps!)

some more pictures from the market




And my flowers at home. I love fresh flowers and I think that we will have some more often now!



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos!!/S Susan

Unknown said...

Thanks Susan!

Elisa said...

Yay for fresh flowers. I love having them in the house and my favorite ones are the Gerbera daisy? (the last photo)

Unknown said...

Ohh gerberas are one of my favorites as well :) i had them for ages!

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